Pep Guardiola, Manchester City’s acclaimed manager, is drawing significant inspiration from Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) performance in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan, as he reshapes his squad for the 2025–26 season. This revelation, reported by ESPN’s Rob Dawson on June 19, 2025, highlights Guardiola’s focus on adopting PSG’s rapid ball movement to revitalize a City team coming off a trophyless 2024–25 campaign, their first without major silverware since 2016–17. This article explores the context of Guardiola’s inspiration, the tactical shifts he’s implementing, the squad’s overhaul, and the broader implications for Manchester City’s ambitions, supported by recent reports and sentiments on X.
Context: A Trophyless Season and a New Beginning
Manchester City’s 2024–25 season was a rare stumble for Guardiola, with the team finishing third in the Premier League, 13 points behind champions Liverpool, and exiting the Champions League in the quarter-finals against Real Madrid. Injuries to key players like Rodri, John Stones, and Nathan Aké, combined with an aging squad, exposed vulnerabilities. The season ended with a 2–1 FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace, marking the first time in eight years City failed to secure a major trophy. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak vowed an “aggressive” transfer window, and new director of football Hugo Viana delivered, signing four players in January—Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Vitor Reis, and Abdukodir Khusanov—and three more in June 2025: Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki.
As City prepared for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Guardiola framed the tournament not as the end of the 2024–25 season but as the “start of 2025–26,” signaling a fresh vision. His admiration for PSG’s performance in the Champions League final, where they defeated Inter Milan, became a focal point, as detailed by ESPN and echoed in X posts like @LMDPSG’s June 18, 2025, tweet: “Pep Guardiola wants to be inspired by Luis Enrique’s PSG! The coach urges his players to move the ball faster… like PSG did against Inter.”
PSG’s Influence: Speed and Tactical Fluidity
Guardiola’s inspiration stems from PSG’s dynamic display under manager Luis Enrique in the 2024 Champions League final. PSG’s victory showcased rapid ball movement, high pressing, and fluid attacking play, qualities Guardiola seeks to instill in his revamped squad. ESPN’s Rob Dawson reported that Guardiola, during a team meeting in Boca Raton ahead of the Club World Cup, emphasized quicker ball circulation, with assistant coach Pep Lijnders reinforcing this in training by shouting “speed, speed.” Training sessions on June 14, 2025, began with quick-passing drills and concluded with shape work, reflecting this tactical shift.
PSG’s approach aligns with Guardiola’s philosophy, rooted in Total Football and influenced by mentors like Johan Cruyff and Juanma Lillo. However, PSG’s execution—marked by fast transitions and exploiting spaces—offered a modern twist that Guardiola aims to emulate. This is a departure from City’s recent seasons, where their pressing intensity waned, as noted in The Athletic’s analysis of the 2024–25 campaign. X user @fahdswaleh tweeted on June 18, 2025, “Pep Guardiola taking inspiration from PSG! One of his goals is to get his players to move the ball quicker, just like PSG did against Inter,” capturing the excitement around this tactical pivot.
Squad Overhaul: Youth and Dynamism
To implement this vision, Guardiola and Viana orchestrated a significant squad refresh, mirroring the transformative 2017 rebuild that followed his first trophyless season at City. Key departures included veterans Kevin De Bruyne (free agent), Kyle Walker (AC Milan), and potentially Jack Grealish, who was omitted from the Club World Cup squad amid interest from Everton and Tottenham. New signings—Rayan Aït-Nouri (24, Wolverhampton, £31m), Tijjani Reijnders (26, AC Milan, £46.3m), Rayan Cherki (21, Lyon), and Sverre Nypan (18, Rosenborg)—lowered the squad’s average age from 26.5 to around 25, injecting dynamism.
These players align with PSG’s model of versatile, athletic profiles. Aït-Nouri, a modern full-back with 0.32 goal involvements per 90 minutes, mirrors PSG’s Achraf Hakimi in attacking output. Reijnders, a Dutch midfielder, brings energy to replace aging stars like Ilkay Gündogan, while Cherki and Nypan add creativity akin to PSG’s young attackers. January signings like Marmoush and Khusanov addressed defensive and attacking weaknesses, with Forbes noting City’s $245m January spend as a response to a “cursed season.” The Athletic drew parallels to 2017, when signings like Ederson and Bernardo Silva sparked a 100-point season, suggesting this rebuild could herald another dominant era.
Tactical and Coaching Adjustments
Guardiola’s focus on speed is supported by a revamped coaching staff. Assistants Juanma Lillo, Carlos Vicens, and Inigo Dominguez departed, replaced by Pep Lijnders (former Liverpool assistant), James French (set-piece coach), and Kolo Touré (promoted from Under-18s). Lijnders’ emphasis on intensity complements Guardiola’s PSG-inspired approach, while French’s set-piece expertise addresses a 2024–25 weakness. Training sessions, as described by ESPN, prioritize quick passing and shape retention, with players like Phil Foden and Erling Haaland adapting to a faster tempo.
Guardiola’s preference for a smaller squad—ideally 21–22 players, per Opta Analyst—remains a point of contention. In May 2025, he threatened to quit if the squad wasn’t reduced, citing the emotional toll of leaving players like Savinho and Rico Lewis out, as reported by ESPN and The Guardian. Despite adding seven players, City’s 27-man Club World Cup squad suggests a temporary compromise, with potential summer sales of players like Jeremy Doku or Matheus Nunes to streamline the roster.
Challenges and Criticisms
Guardiola’s PSG-inspired approach faces hurdles. City’s 2024–25 injury crisis exposed squad depth issues, with Rodri’s absence revealing a lack of midfield options, as Sky Sports noted. Critics on X, like @Sean’s comment in a Sky Sports thread, argue Guardiola has struggled to maximize players like Grealish and Foden, suggesting tactical rigidity. The ongoing Premier League investigation into 115 financial charges, though dismissed by City as irrelevant to transfers, adds off-field pressure, per The Athletic.
PSG’s model, while inspiring, isn’t flawless. Their final relied on individual brilliance and high pressing, which City’s older squad struggled to sustain. Integrating young players like Cherki and Nypan into Guardiola’s complex system during a compressed Club World Cup schedule poses risks, as World Soccer Talk warned of potential “tensions” if results falter.
Broader Implications
Guardiola’s adoption of PSG’s tactics signals his relentless evolution, a hallmark of his career. Wikipedia notes his reverence for possession-based play, inspired by Cruyff and Bielsa, but his willingness to adapt—here, prioritizing speed—underscores why he’s considered among the greatest managers. Success could restore City’s dominance, with a top-five Premier League finish securing Champions League qualification, per cityxtra.co.uk. Failure, however, could intensify scrutiny, especially with Guardiola’s contract nearing its end, though The Athletic suggests a one-year extension is possible.
For fans, the PSG inspiration is a bold move. X posts like @Donkean3’s “Pep Guardiola wants to BE INSPIRED by Luis Enrique’s PSG! 🤩” reflect optimism, while others question if City can replicate PSG’s intensity. The Club World Cup, starting June 18, 2025, against Wydad AC, will test this new approach, setting the tone for a pivotal season.
Conclusion
Pep Guardiola’s inspiration from PSG’s 2024 Champions League final performance marks a strategic pivot for Manchester City, as he seeks to rejuvenate a squad stung by a trophyless season. By emphasizing rapid ball movement, signing young talents like Aït-Nouri and Reijnders, and reshaping his coaching staff, Guardiola aims to mirror PSG’s dynamism while staying true to his possession-based roots. Challenges like squad size debates and off-field distractions loom, but his track record—evidenced by the 2017 rebuild—suggests potential for another transformative era. As City embark on the Club World Cup, Guardiola’s PSG-inspired vision sets the stage for a high-stakes 2025–26 campaign, with the football world watching closely.
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Sources:
- ESPN
- Yahoo Sports
- Wikipedia
- Opta Analyst
- cityxtra.co.uk
- The Athletic
- ESPN
- The Guardian
- Forbes
- Sky Sports
- World Soccer Talk
- X Posts by @LMDPSG, @fahdswaleh, @Donkean3
